Long Cool Woman Ch. 03

"Go ahead." said Kelly Carnes, rising to her feet. "I won't make a plea deal like Mr. Lewis did. I'll fight you all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Your dictatorial tactics are what is out of order, and I will do whatever it takes to have you removed from your illegitimately-gained position as Mayor."

Mrs. Peabody got up and hurriedly left the room. The Sergeant-At-Arms stood up, ready to make an arrest.

"For God's sake, Kelly, sit down!" spat Susan Weston. "It does us no good if you get kicked out!"

"No, Susan." said Malinda Adams. "We cannot tolerate this little Hitler of a Mayor's actions. This is not a dictatorship-------"

The door flung open, and Mrs. Peabody held it as I walked into the room, brandishing my crowbar, followed by Captain Teresa Croyle, Chief Sean Moynahan, and Sheriff Antonio Griswold.

"Is there a problem, here?" I asked the Sergeant-At-Arms.

"It's getting there, sir." he replied.

"We haven't called for you yet." said Mayor Allgood.

"The way I see it," I said, my voice still calm for the moment, "we've just been called to a... domestic disturbance. And I am here to make sure you people act with decorum and civility, so that you do not continue to waste the Sheriff's time and the Police Chief's time with your crap."

"I have this under control, Commander------" started Daniel, but he stopped when Sheriff Griswold came over and picked up his gavel. Everyone watched wide-eyed as he brought it over to me and made a direct comparison with my crowbar.

"I'd say his gavel is bigger, Daniel." Griswold said almost happily, returning the gavel as I walked to the far end of the table.

"I want to make one thing clear, to all of you." I said. "Yesterday my daughter was called some filthy names, and her physical safety was threatened, by a hatred-filled reporter. This all started Tuesday night, when YOU, Mr. Lewis..." I leaned over and stared at Lewis as I continued "... got yourself arrested for being an ass and making untrue allegations of racism and election-stealing."

"Those allegations are true-------" started Kelly Carnes.

"MY DAUGHTER, MRS. CARNES!" I shouted into her face. "MY DAUGHTER!" I then dropped my voice to unnervingly level. "My little girl was verbally abused and physically threatened. By a reporter, because of a Council Member."

"Oh yes." I said as I heard gasps in the room. "Yes... let me remind you, all of you... that this is not the first time. Yes, one of your fellow Councilmen, your friend, Mrs. Carnes, Thomas P. Cook... that man and a hatred-filled reporter, John Hardwood, kidnapped my other daughter and put her in a warehouse full of explosives. And only by the Grace of God and the heroism of this outstanding Police Officer right here..." I was pointing at Teresa "... did my daughter survive."

The room was utterly still and silent. I broke the silence: "I will not have that happen again. I hold Reginald Lewis and his shameful actions responsible for what was said about Tasha. You'd better pray to God, Lewis, that nothing happens to my daughter."

"Or what?" Kelly Carnes hissed venomously.

"Stop acting stupid, bitch." I snarled at Carnes. "You know what."

"I resent your language------" Malinda Adams started up.

*WHAM!*

My crowbar slamming into the table caused people to sail out of their chairs for one instant. "I'm obviously not making myself clear, here." I continued angrily. "So let me try again: for you people, all this bullshit is some sort of political game. For me, LIVES are at stake! My daughters's lives! While you're ginning up racial hatred as hard as you can, MY daughter is the one whose life being threatened. And I am sick and fucking tired of it."

"So you can either stop the bullshit and get your business here done," I said, coming around the side of the table, "or you can keep the shit up, and Lewis is going to go to jail, and some of you very likely will follow."

I stopped behind Lewis and bent down as if to tell him a secret: "Oh, one more thing, Mr. Lewis. They can goad you, all they want. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it. If you say a word, and the Mayor has you removed, it's off to prison you go. And I'll take you there personally, and put my boot in your ass as I kick you into your prison cell. It's your choice, and your buddy Mrs. Carnes's choice. Act civil, or face the consequences."

With that, I headed to the door. "I yield back the balance of my time, Mr. Mayor." I said as I left.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Why that..." Kelly Carnes was about to start, but she saw that Teresa was behind her, staring her down.

"Better be sure... bitch." Teresa said.

"Mr. Mayor," said John Colby, "may I ask the Police Chief a question?"

"Go ahead." said the Mayor.

"Chief, are you planning to put Lt. Irwin in for a medal that will require our approval?"

"You better believe it." said Moynahan.

"Thank you, Chief." said Colby. "Mr. Mayor, I believe we can get nothing done tonight. I want to make a motion to adjourn, and we can take this back up when we consider Lt. Irwin's medal."

"Before you do," said the Mayor, who stood up, "I want you guys to understand something. I'm not controlling these meetings so tightly because I want to. I'm doing it because I have to. If we can have civil discourse and decorum, I won't have to. And Commander Troy is right, lives are at stake here. He saved my daughter as well as his own just days ago. Can we all agree to conduct our business civilly?"

"No." said Kelly Carnes, also rising to her feet. "Not as long as you're here. You are an illegitimate Mayor. You stole the election from its rightful winner, Eldrick X. Weaver. You are a racist. And you can go straight to Hell. Arrest me if you dare." With that, she walked to the door and out of the room. Malinda Adams got up and followed her out.

Reginald B.F. Lewis stood up and looked at Teresa. "I just want you to know, and tell your Commander... I had nothing to do with what Holder said about his daughter."

"It won't matter, if anything happens to Tasha." Teresa replied severely. "You will be the one to pay for it. By my hand, if not the Iron Crowbar's." Seeing that the Iron Wolf was as deeply entrenched as the other side, Lewis moved to the door and exited the room.


"There is a motion to adjourn on the floor." said John Colby.

"I second." said everyone else.

"The ayes have it, and the motion is carried." said Daniel Allgood.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I was staring out the window of my darkened office, sipping some medicinal rye whiskey, when the door opened. In the reflection off the window, I saw it was Chief Moynahan.

"I halfway expected you to be the Sheriff." I said. "Want a shot?"

"Of course." said Chief Moynahan. I turned in my chair, poured him a healthy shot into a glass, and gave my own drink another generous splash.

"Rye." the Chief said upon tasting it.

"Bit cleaner taste, to me." I said.

"That was... very good, what you did in there." said the Chief, meaning the Council meeting. "You reminded them... and all of us... of what we have to deal with."

"And they didn't care." I said bitterly. "They're dug in."

"Maybe not." said the Chief. "It's like that new album T-Square just put out: 'Shit Just Got Real'."

I briefly chuckled. "I didn't take you for a T-Square fan."

"Oh, I prefer the jazz at his club 'Jasmine'." said the Chief. "But my point is that I think it got real for Reginald Lewis tonight. And the Council. You were right to point it out to them that it's games for them, and lives at stake for you."

I just nodded, and sipped my drink.

"I never had children, so I can only imagine the stress you're under... every day." said the Chief. "And I can see the pain that is still in Grizz's face over his son Charlie's death. That was nearly a year ago, and it still is hurting him to his core..." His voice trailed off, and the room was silent for a moment.

"Yes sir." I finally said. "It's my one true worry... and Laura's... our children's safety when there are people out there who really want to do them harm. Kelly Carnes and Lester Holder being two of those people."

"Yezzz." said the Chief. "Don, you know that your kids come first, not this Police Force. Whatever you need to do to protect them, do it. And we'll have your back all the way."

"Thank you, sir." I said.

"To be honest... I guess I should say 'candid'," the Chief said, "I'm surprised you haven't ripped Lester Holder a new one by now."

"I'm not going to touch him, Chief." I said. "Let him keep digging that hole he's burying himself in. Karma is a bitch."

"Yezzz." said the Chief. "I don't know what you have planned, and I don't want to know. But I now understand why the Sheriff tells me to just let you do what you do. So go do what you do, Iron Crowbar... go do what you do. Thanks for the drink."

With that, the Chief got up and left the office as I turned back to the window and looked out into the dark of the night...

Part 20 - Epilogue

The men were sitting in the seedy bar Bangkok in the City, in the darkened far side where Bundy McGinty once conducted business. They watched the beautiful stripper gyrate on the pole as they sipped their drinks, and pretended not to notice the large, broad-shouldered man come in, pay the cover, then walk unerringly over to them.

"Mind if I have a seat?" the newcomer asked.

"No sir." said the man in the rather ill-fitting polyester suit. "Are you drinking with us tonight?"

"Why not?" said the newcomer. To the girl that had just come up, he said "Gin and tonic."

"Put it on my tab." said the third man, his hat concealing his face and droopy mustache.

"Thank you." said the newcomer, who was dressed in an expensive, well-fitting gray suit and light blue tie, and looked out-of-place in this dingy, dangerous bar. "So, gentlemen, I guess you heard."

"Shimono?" asked the man in the ill-fitting suit. "Yes sir. Looks like the FBI caught her by accident in a sting against MegaTech Industries."

"I heard differently." said the newcomer. "The Iron Crowbar was all over it. Personally put the cuffs on Shimono and led her outside, then handed her to the FBI."

"Him again?" snarled the third man. "Is there no getting away from that guy?"

"That's why I'm here." said the newcomer. "We have no choice left. We have to go with the 'last plan'. Are you sure you can recruit that TCPD Officer to our side?"

"We have a ton of intel from a lot of people." said the man in the bad suit. "It's a bad situation there, and we think he's ready to turn. Won't be the first time he's fucked over supposed friends."

"Good." said the newcomer. "Do it, then. Feel him out, then bring him before me. Together, we will bring him to our side..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Daddy, it's COLD!" Tasha exclaimed as she and I waded into the pool of water created by the waterfall. It was the afternoon of Saturday, June 22d.

"Yeah it is." I replied. I looked out, seeing Laura and Carole in the deeper water, Laura standing chest-deep and Carole swimming with little air 'bracelets' on her upper arms and a flotation device on her body. They had just gotten into the seemingly freezing water as if it were nothing, while Tasha and I could barely take it. And Marie had tried to be 'brave' and go in after Carole, but she was now pressing her arms into her chest and her teeth were chattering.

Worried about Marie, and remembering her hypothermia when she'd been found in that ditch (Author's note: 'The Other World', Ch. 01-02.), I had her get out of the water and I wrapped a towel around her, then wrapped another one around Tasha, who had come out after us.

"I'm almost as cold as that night Bowser found me in that ditch." Marie said.

"Now that's cold." I said. "You remember that?"

"Some of it." Marie said. "I remember being in a car wrapped up in a blanket, and Bowser was under the blanket with me. I was very cold, and he was warm and helped me get warmer."

"Yes, that's true." I said.

Just then, Laura and Carole made their way back to shore. "Aren't y'all freezing?" I asked.

"It's not too bad." Laura said. I was noticing her hard nipples under her swimsuit, and the nasty thoughts that followed threatened to create an embarrassing situation for me.

"It's very cold, Daddy." said Carole. "But it feels good. I like it."

"Like mother, like daughter." I said with a grin.

"Mommy says I can take swimming lessons when we get home." said Carole.

"That's a good idea." I said. "Marie, would you like to learn how to swim?" Marie nodded vigorously, and I said "What about you, Tasha?"

"Am I old enough?" asked Tasha.

"Oh yes." Laura said. "And it would be good in case you fell into the water. You wouldn't panic because you'd know what to do."

"Okay!" Tasha said, happy that there was no lack of inclusion here.

A moment later I heard Carole say "See? That's where Daddy had his back operrr-ashunnnnn." pointing at the scars on my lower back.

"Wowwwww." said Tasha and Marie. They ran their hands along the scars. "Does that hurt, Daddy?" Carole asked.

"No." I said. "But it hurts inside sometimes if I move the wrong way." To Laura I said "Junior doctors at work." Laura smiled. We knew it was unlikely that Carole nor Jim would go to medical school, but we wondered if maybe Marie or Tasha would go that route one day...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I'd long since bought and installed a fire pot for the 'backyard', between the house and the lake, and I made a charcoal fire. We cooked hotdogs and then roasted marshmallows. The girls made a mess, which was part of the fun, of course.

After a long, full day of outdoor activities, it was no problem at all to get three exhausted girls to bed in the second bedroom. They fell asleep immediately, so Laura and I poured a couple of glasses of Scotch and went outside. We sat down in the chairs, looking at the placid waters of Lake Watchacoochie, seeing the occasional streetlight on a boat shed and some lights in the windows of the other cabins. I wondered if the DepDirector was at his cabin on the other side of the lake.

"Darling," Laura said to me as we held hands and sipped our drinks "I have a confession to make. I wasn't grounded. I told them that I was past my prime, and not up to doing active undercover field missions anymore."

"Well, you're certainly not past your prime, with those legs of yours." I said flirtatiously, earning a squeeze of my hand by hers. "But yeah... that was not the ideal mission to be going on. Everything was stacked against you. MegaTech Industries is the world leader in technology and spying... just ask them, they'll tell ya... and while you knew it, you couldn't communicate with Team Lazarus. And now we know they knew you were coming. That bastard Willingham all but delivered you to Beijing on a silver platter."

"And I have you... and Melina... to thank for canceling that flight." Laura said. "I can't believe Team Lazarus didn't let her help with the mission, and sent her on an assignment... which she's doing now, I guess."

I nodded in the darkness. "It occurred to me that Jack Muscone sent her on that mission, or allowed her to go... and suggested she secretly divert to Palmyra County. And yes, thank goodness she did."

Laura said "It never occurred to me that that 'Geek' guy would be at MegaTech. And of course he recognized me, so my mission was blown anyway."

I said "And there was more. While I have no respect for Bob Rovers's BAU team's analytical abilities, it has occurred to me that they are the ones that gave Zorn, Wages, and Shimono some information on you. David was just your type of guy, they built him a backstop to match yours, he talked about things like Sanders to keep you on the hook..."

"Yes." said Laura. "Which is one reason I told the Company I'm done. It used to be me making the psychological evaluations, not being evaluated and worked over. But they got me, and they got me good. And that's a warning to you and everyone: MegaTech Industries and their people are that good... and therefore very dangerous."

"Yes." I said. "Anyhoo... we've busted Trent, Quint, and now Shimono. Just Barsbane and Granger left to go, and then the big fish. Blassingame."

"Oh, you've got a plan for him?" Laura asked.

"You betcha." I said. "Now why don't we go back inside, so like a good Stag I can 'reclaim' my Vixen?"

"Now that is a good plan." Laura said. Hand-in-hand, we went back inside, and to bed...

"And I've gotta be forgiven
if I wanna spend my living
With a long cool woman in a black dress
Just a 5'9 beautiful tall
Yeah, with just one look I was a bad mess
'Cause that long cool woman had it all,,,
Had it all...
Had it all...
Had it all..."

Finis.